About Us
We envision an Orange County in which all children reach their full potential. The groundwork for this vision is set during a child’s earliest years. First 5 Orange County partners with many organizations working towards creating and maintaining an early childhood system that families experience as a seamless network of care.
Building a Strong Foundation
Each child is unique, and every child’s full potential will look different. We know from years of research that a child’s experiences during their early years establish a foundation that, if strong, sets children up to achieve more in school and life, be physically healthier and more emotionally resilient, and participate more in society.
At First 5 Orange County, we recognize the strengths that families bring to each child’s foundation, and aim to build bridges so children of every culture, color, and condition can thrive without barriers. In partnership with health, social service, family support, and education agencies in Orange County, we provide programs and initiatives that build up children and encourage whole family engagement and health.
Our Core Values
Here at First 5 Orange County, we use our core values to continuously guide our interactions, operations, and decisions.
Respect
We recognize and value the inherent worth of all coworkers, partners, and community members and treat everyone with the same level of appreciation, kindness, understanding, and helpfulness.
Teamwork
Through collaboration, dedication, and effective communication, we work together to fulfill our mission to serve the children and families of Orange County to the best of our collective ability.
Accountability
Through reliability, personal and organizational responsibility, and honesty, we honor commitments to teammates, partners, and the community.
Our History
First 5 Orange County was created as a result of Proposition 10, the California Children and Families Act of 1998, which added a 50-cent sales tax on tobacco products sold in California. Prop 10 required that funds raised be used to support education, health and child development programs for children from the prenatal stage through age 5.
Since our inception more than 20 years ago, First 5 Orange County has become a leading convener and collaborator, as well as a valued capacity builder and funder of best practices with an emphasis on elevating equity. In these roles, we offer the community deep expertise on the importance of early childhood in human development and the conditions that children and families need to thrive.
We cultivate strong relationships with our community partners and support innovative, research-based services that have been shown to improve outcomes. We engage directly with families and neighborhoods to offer them the information and tools they need to become advocates for their young children.
Finally, we promote a “system-level perspective” that recognizes the importance of seamless cross-agency coordination to improve the family experience and child outcome.
Our Equity Commitment
First 5 Orange County is committed to promoting equity and ensuring that all children in our community have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential and thrive. To First 5 OC, equity means that every child deserves the support and resources they need to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstance.
Equity differs from equality. Equality means providing the same level of opportunity and assistance to all. Equity means providing different levels of support and assistance depending on specific needs or abilities.
Click on the report to the right to view or download First 5 Orange County’s Ongoing Commitment to Equity.
